Overview for Fingerprint Identification

The present book “Fingerprint Identification” is an endeavour to put certain vital facts regarding fingerprints, their formation, pattern types, classification, characteristic features, scene of crime prints, comparison and their relevance at one place for easy comprehension.

There are five chapters in the book. The first chapter describes the history of the use of fingerprints for the purpose of identification, the biological basis of their formation, besides their importance in identification.

The second chapter delineates distinctive features of fingerprints, like pattern area, type lines, core and delta formation, etc. pattern types, their formation and identification. The third chapter describes the famous the Digital Classification of fingerprints for maintenance of records.

The fourth chapter describes the importance of chance prints, their types and formation. It further highlights the various methods (physical and chemical) for developing latent prints found at the scene of crime. The last chapter explains the importance of ridge characteristics and the role they play in the procedure of comparison of complete or partial fingerprints recovered from the scene of crime with that of the suspects.

The knowledge implanted in the five chapters of this book would be of enormous significance to police officers, practicing lawyers, researchers, graduate and post graduate students of forensic science, civil servants, administrators and the ones fascinated to be acquainted with fingerprint science, who wish to acquire knowledge on the use of fingerprints for personal identification.

Surinder Nath (Editor)

Prof. Surinder Nath (b.1945) graduated in 1965 and obtained post graduate in 1965 and obtained post graduate degree in Anthropology (with physical Anthropology as specialization) in 1967. He completed his Doctorate in 1972 from Delhi University and started teaching in 1975. He obtained specialized graining in Forensic Science at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, C.B.I. New Delhi and taught Forensic Science besides Anthropology at Delhi University. He has published over ten books pertaining to various aspects of Anthropology and Forensic Science, including two books each on Forensic Anthropology and Fingerprint Identification.

He has published over 130 research papers in various National and International journals. Twenty seven research scholars have obtained their Ph.D. degrees under his supervision and eight are enrolled with him for their doctorate.

Professor Nath headed the Department of Anthropology during January 2005 to December 2007. He was Dean, Faculty of Science for a period of two and a half year during his headship. He was chairman of Standing Committee Besides being member of the Academic Council and Executive Council of Delhi University for three and two and a half year period. He is on the panel of Punjabi University, Patiala, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, GGS I.P. University, Delhi, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi and Amity University, Noida. He is member of the Academic Council of DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur.

At present he is working as senior professor in the department of Anthropology, University of Delhi.